


Fractured Boundaries

by Happydog



Series: Chronicles of Svaila [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Fantasy, Friendship, M/M, Monsters, Mostly Gen, Original Female Character(s)/Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Shapeshifting, Transformation, World Travel, original male character(s)/original male character(s) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:07:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25954219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happydog/pseuds/Happydog
Summary: Two best friends are entwined on the long path to greatness:Dan Dragoste wants nothing more to embody the gallantry of the heroes of legend.Lübel Ruhmsucher will do anything to achieve the glory of the classical politicians.What will they sacrifice to achieve their goals?If their paths diverge will they reach the same destination regardless?
Series: Chronicles of Svaila [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659178
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

After the death of the Usurper Empress came the end of the Millenium of Prosperity. Afterwards came the Age of Anarchy. During this period, their historical records were lost and there was no one left to uphold the diligent record-keeping established by the empire. 

It took Svailana a century to realize her death and with young leaders and no contingency plans to speak of the land fell into chaos. 

In the generations that followed, their civilizations fell apart at their seams. Eventually, they realized that with no empress to stop them the forbidden war arts could be revived with impunity. Naturally, this sprung conflict; nation against nation, village against village, and even neighbor against neighbor. 

Some say the fits of barbarity were born of desperation, but in truth they came from humanities wicked vices.

Once they had destroyed themselves, all they had left were ruins to rebuild. Just to be destroyed once again in their envy. Gone were the grand cities of old. All they could hope to build were small towns or villages. Shallow roots of order amidst the chaos.


	2. Hopeful Beginnings

Dan knelt at the edge of the river. He’d just finished his and Lübel’s laundry. He stood up and stretched before lifting the basket effortlessly and returning to camp. He hummed a bit to break up the silence as he hung the clothes up to dry. Dan was alone in the camp. The rest of the mercenaries had gone into town to celebrate another successful battle.

Uninterested in the revelry, Dan had stayed behind. In order to pass the time he decided to do some chores. They’d be marching soon after all, and it wouldn’t do to be unprepared. After he hung the clothes to dry Dan decided to pack his and Lübel’s tents as well.

The rest of the mercenaries would likely merrymake in the town the rest of the night, so he wouldn’t have any distractions. He found a nice stump near the clothesline to sit on while the clothes dried. With nothing better to do he decided he could spend the time polishing his sword. Dan sharpened his sword carefully, once he was satisfied with his handiwork he checked on the clothes once again. 

Since they were only half dry he decided he could carve some arrows for Lübel. As always he made sure that each arrow was flawless. Consequently, it took him hours to finish and by then the sun had started to set. He stored them in Lübel’s pack before finally taking the clothes off the line. Once everything was finally packed Dan let out a yawn.   
The rest of the mercenaries would likely spend the rest of the night in town. They’d stumble in hungover and reeking of whatever inn had housed them for the night. Luckily, Lübel had promised to come early in the morning to help him shop for a new sword sheath. Dan laid the packs against the stump before finally leaning back against it himself. He fell asleep cradling his sword in his arms.


	3. Night Rambling

The highlight of Lübel’s night was watching their leader, Darryl VonJerryl, drunkenly talk game to anyone who would listen. Lübel sighed discreetly, it was pathetic to watch honestly. He’d only joined the VonJerryl Mercenaries because of their semi-prestigious reputation. When Dan questioned his choice he’d called it a fortuitous stepping stone. 

Of course his naïve friend had rolled his eyes at his response, but now Lübel was starting to question his choice as well. Eventually, Lübel stopped reflecting on his regrets and refocused on the ‘celebration’.

Just to realize that he and Darryl were the only mercenaries left. He watched Darryl’s tearful conversation with the only woman who’d given him the time of day. Lübel refused to third wheel for whatever engaging conversation they were having, so he decided to go find an inn.He didn’t even say bye to Darryl as he left. Though he doubted that his departure would even be noted regardless.

Wandering around the town, Lübel hoped to find a decent room for a discounted price. It wouldn’t be difficult, considering the way villagers loved showing their gratitude. For that reason, Dan always abstained from celebrations.   
Lübel had no such qualms though. He saw the gratitude as more of a survival tactic. If giving a small discount meant saving your livelihood only a fool would choose to lose their livelihood. 

As he headed towards a promising looking inn, he saw some fellow mercenaries prowling for entertainment. The aptly named town of Settledown was family oriented, so brothels or gambling dens were nowhere to be found. Though the mercenaries likely wanted to end their boredom, under the VonJerryl name they wouldn’t dare commit any acts of delinquency. That was the one point that Lübel could give Darryl, he ran a tight ship. 

When Lübel finally arrived at the inn he turned on the charm before entering. It seemed luck had favored him because the young woman manning the desk flashed him an interested smile as he walked in. With his most charming smile he tried to talk his way into a cheaper room. He had no problem feigning interest in whatever banalities she prattled on if it meant being too distracted to charge him for the night. 

He wouldn’t go so far as to leave a bastard in some hick town, but listening to some story about finally being trusted to run the inn alone wasn’t above him. Despite his commitment to the bit, he could hardly keep the disinterest off his face. 

When they finally arrived at his room for the night, she looked at him expectantly before he shut it in her face with a dismissive “well good night”. As Lübel got comfortable he listened to her awkward shuffle back with an odd sense of satisfaction.


	4. Patience

Dan always rose with the sunrise. Birdsong greeted his return to the waking world. A quick stretch got his blood flowing before he started his daily training routine. Whenever there weren’t any battles planned he trained. 

Life could be taken with a single hit, Dan wouldn’t let it a mistake end him. He ran through a variety of drills and techniques for hours. Once he was done he bathed in a river. Once he finished cleaning up he braided his hair into a long sloppy braid. Usually, Lübel would have done it for him, but without him, he had no choice but to make due. Honestly as a warrior, he should probably cut it short. But he figured as long as he tied it back it’d be fine, personal preference winning out over functionality.

Freshened up, Dan returned to the stump to wait for Lübel. Once the sun rose, he could hear his fellow mercenaries stumbling back to camp. While they packed begrudgingly Dan waited patiently for Lübel’s return. The longer he waited the deeper his frown grew. 

Eventually even Darryl and an unknown companion returned. By then the majority of the mercenaries had finished packing and soon it would be time for the march. It was already too late to go buy a sheathe. They were departing at noon after all. 

Right as Darryl started preparing to give his usual speech, Lübel finally sauntered back into camp seemingly unrepentant after wasting Dan’s limited free-time. His nonchalant behavior further incensed an already dispirited Dan, so he ignored Lübel’s attempts to grab his attention.

Lubel’s poorly hidden chuckles merely deepened Dan’s pout. He heard some shuffling behind him, but refused to give into his curiosity. Suddenly, Lübel held a bracelet in front of his face. Before Dan could question him, Lübel grabbed his wrist and tied the bracelet around it. 

Dan inspected it curiously, it was a simple bead bracelet. Pink clay beads were held together on a blue string. Slightly appeased, Dan cooed,

“What’s this”

“A friendship bracelet Danmas. See look mine complements it. It represents our bond.” He explained, holding his wrist out revealing an identical style bracelet with the colors switched. 

Though they were obviously cheap trinkets, Dan was heavily subscribed to the belief that a gift's value was derived from the giver's heart. To Dan these simple bracelets were a monument to their friendship, he would be sure to cherish them for an eternity. 

Pacified by the gift, he was eager to share his stump with Lübel. Dan scooted over so his friend could squeeze next to him. Now that the air was clear between them, Lübel was happy to oblige. But now that he was next to him Lübel could clearly see that his hair was a mess. 

With a fond sigh, Lübel pulled a comb out of his bag and pulled Dan onto his lap to brush his hair. Dan found himself pouting again, but he didn’t refuse his friends' ministrations. While Lübel fixed his hair, Darryl finally moved to address the mercenaries, the unknown woman at his side. The camp went silent as they all paused their conversations to listen respectfully.


	5. Big News

Lübel watched disdainfully as Darryl and the women from the pub came to the forefront of the camp. He kept doing Dan’s hair as Darryl finally began to speak.

“Everyone, I have a major announcement to make… after we return to Turnt Town I will officially retire from mercenary work. Please hold your discussion. 

Yesterday I met the love of my life, at the pub. Now I know what y’all are thinking, but it ain’t like that. Don’t judge until I’m finished ok. We met at the pub last night and we were able to build an immediate connection. Like she’s definitely my soulmate y’all. 

Shush, SHUSH. Yes usually there is build up to a soul bond or whatever, but Merryl and me, we don’t need that. Like our relationship is above all dat, off writ. And I don’t want to hear it. Let me finish. 

Merryl has inspired me to chase my true dream and honestly some of y’all my ridas for life, so if y’all wanna hop on that let me know. If you wanna rock with my little brother’s La’Darius’ militia, let me know, I’ll give you a recommendation. If you wanna leave now, feel free. 

But as for the VonJerryl mercenaries, once we reach Turnt Town we will be officially disbanded. Get ready to rock on if you rollin’ with us for this last month. At midday we out. If you wanna leave now, I wish you the best. But besides that, that’s all I got to say.” Near the end Darryl started to get emotional, but he held it together as he went to finish packing as well. Merryl patted his back comfortingly as he went.

This sent the rest of the mercenaries into a hushed uproar. Lübel seethed silently. Apparently Darryl was a soft-hearted romantic, go figure. Lübel had only joined them to further his path to glory and now he needed to augment his plans. He grit his teeth as he completed the finishing touches on Dan’s braid. With a pat on the shoulder to announce the braid’s completion, Lübel sat back pensive. 

Suddenly Dan jumped out of his lap and into an overly enthusiastic hug. Too winded to push Dan off and maintain his aura of winded stoicism, Lübel decided to let his friend vent for one. To his surprise, Dan wasn’t hugging him out of loss, but tender-hearted empathy.

“Aw, that’s so lovely. Everyone should have someone that pushes them to chase their dreams. Right Lübel?” he asked giggling and once again his friend’s innocent nature kept Lübel’s truer thoughts at bay. 

“Of course buddy” he answered with a pat on the back. He wasn’t nearly as idealistic as his friend, but he wouldn’t be the one to jade him either. He rested his chin on top of Dan’s head and began planning for the future. 

They sat there a few moments before Dan gasped and jumped out of his arms. He jumped around excitedly before finally offering up his plans. 

“I know! Since you made the plan last time it’s my turn this time, we should travel around Svailana slaying monsters and bandits like the heroes of legend!” 

“Legends are just legends Danmas, but sure we can give it a shot. Let’s start at Turnt Town and see where the road takes us.” Lübel agreed. He figured there was no harm in humoring his friend once in a while… but watching Dan dance around in excitement Lübel couldn’t help but let out a genuine smile.


	6. Ambush in Redwood Forest

The mercenaries began their march towards Turnt Town without much delay. Dan was happy to see that everyone was loyal enough to follow Darryl till the end. But disappointingly, that didn’t keep them from gossiping. He was disinterested in their conversations, so he lagged behind the formation intentionally. Since he was carrying both his and Lübel’s packs it wasn’t hard to do. Lübel had gone to the front of the formation to try and rub elbows with some of the older mercenaries. 

These days his friend was constantly trying to ingratiate himself to authority figures. Dan couldn’t help but wonder if it even mattered, but as long as it was important to Lübel he would be sure to support his endeavors. He fiddled with his bracelet subconsciously as he thought about his friend. 

His peaceful state of mind did not last long however. A feeling of unsettlement began to develop within him as they entered the redwood forest. He tried to scan the tree line, but the heavy fog severely reduced visibility. No matter, they could hide for now, but once he spotted them he’d be ready for them. He stroked the hilt of his sword eagerly, a brutal look in his eyes despite the wide smile on his face.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, Lübel was at the front of the formation. For now he was just listening to the gossip. Apparently Darryl’s true dream had been to be a vigneron of all things. It was trite, but fit well in Darryl’s pragmatic wheelhouse. Lübel cursed his luck. At least Dan was taking everything in stride. 

Sure Lübel would let him have his fun, but that didn’t mean he’d put his goals on hold in the meantime. In any case, their month-long journey would give him ample time to come up with a better plan. His scheming was interrupted by Dan suddenly running past the front of the formation and veering into the woods. 

A scream alerted the rest of them that he’d spotted an ambush. He side-stepped an arrow before drawing his own bow and firing back. Immediately, Darryl jumped into action and started shouting orders while mounting his steed. 

Merryl and the medics were sent into the wealth wagon for protection. Darryl and the spear wielders were at a disadvantage thanks to the terrain, so they would surround the wagon. The rest of the infantry were told to split into both sides of the woods. Lübel and the rest of the archers were instructed to use the trees for cover, but only to fire if they were certain it was an enemy.

Quickly they split into their groups. Lübel stayed on the side Dan had ran into. The archers with him drew their bows and the melee fighters stood at the edge hesitating. Blood on the trees, unearthly screaming, and the thick fog seemed to cause them to falter. 

Dan it seemed was giving their ambushers no quarter. No enemies came from their side of the woods. Lübel speculated that they were likely fleeing on this side. Despite the screaming coming from the woods he could hear metal clanging behind him. As the loudest scream abruptly cut short, one of the stronger warriors turned back muttering to herself.

“Not dealing with that....” before she went off to fight on the other side. The others stood rooted to the spot. Until the screaming started back up again. Eventually they started trickling back to the other side as well. 

Lübel ended up being the only one left on that side. Since the rest of them had reinforced the other side the battle started to progress much quicker. Not till the battle started to come to a close did Dan stagger out of the woods soaked in blood. 

Before Lübel could say anything to him, Darryl called everyone back around the wealth wagon. The battle was officially over. 

Darryl began giving congratulations. But before he could finish, the warrior from earlier raised her hand waving it urgently. Darry sighed before answering.

“Yes, y’all can loot the corpses.” He said, with a disappointed look on his face. It didn’t matter though because she had already run off after the ‘yes’. This caused a ripple effect amongst the other mercenaries with a predilection for corpse robbing. Darryl just gave up and dismissed the rest of them, shouting that they had an hour to rest before they’d reconvene. 

The crowd thinned out and Darryl finally caught a good look of Dan. 

“Ah! What the world guys? Lübel help him get that off before it dries. And be sure to check for injuries too while y’all at it. There’s a river that way, go on now.” He shooed them away between gags. 

“He’s bloody too…” Dan muttered under his breath, to which Lübel raised an eyebrow, it was literally comparing a spatter to a bloodbath. Obediently they went to look for their packs. Unfortunately, Dan’s had been trampled in the chaos, but he’d had the foresight to stash Lubel’s behind a tree. Sighing, he tried to salvage what he could from Dan’s pack. 

“Ugh, your clothes are all dirty. Just borrow some of mine till we have time to do laundry again.”

“Thanks.” Dan said quietly. He was being uncharacteristically quiet. As they walked silently towards the river Lübel resolved to figure out what was wrong later. He saw that the blood was beginning to dry, so they began picking up the pace. Darryl’s directions had been accurate and they found it easily enough. 

The eager looter had beaten them there and was kneeling by the side of the river. She was wearing some pilfered jewelry and scrubbing the blood off a ring. Indifferent to her presence, Dan jumped straight into the river. The water flowed red as he tried to rinse off all the blood. Meanwhile, Lübel watched the women try to fit the ring onto her finger. It was too large, nonplussed she turned to Lübel and started up a conversation. 

“You guys are uhh, Lübel and Dan right, Kiri. Tell ya’ friend he did a good job spottin’ that ambush. Give him this as my gratitude when he gets done. The gold’s impure, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder am I right. Haha.” The good natured spirit of her words obfuscated by the monotone of her voice. 

“Thanks I’ll be sure to give it to him.” he said stiffly. 

“Don’t make me no difference really.” she said breezily before leaving with a wave directed at Dan. Lübel wasn’t sure what he felt about her and watched her closely as she headed back to camp. Her casual saunter wouldn’t immediately relay her battle prowess, but then again Dan’s eager scurry was just as disarming. Before he could finish analyzing her, a soaked Dan jumped out of the river spraying bloody water everywhere. 

“Aw, She left already? How come?”

“She wanted to go loot some more corpses.”

“Oh…”

“Forget it, just hurry up and bathe properly. Honestly, jumping in with your clothes on, be more meticulous.”

“I just wanted to keep the blood from setting in, I don’t have that many clothes.” 

“Those are definitely being discarded. We’ll pass through a couple villages on the way to Turnt Town, I’ll buy you some new clothes then. In fact, I’ll buy you new clothes at every settlement, so take those rags off ok.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet, but you don’t have to spoil me. I don’t need that many clothes.”

“...No one’s as sweet as you, Danmas. Now let me wash the blood out of your hair. We don’t have much time left.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the dialogue at the end I didn't add the descriptors in-between each line cause I feel like it would mess with the flow of the conversation, but if a lot of people feel strongly that they'd prefer it, I could do like an ova thing with the added descriptions. 
> 
> For updates and/or questions you can use my twitter @5Happydogsoc... if you're here this far hopefully you're invested lol. But also feel free to just comment on here too.


	7. Post Cut Clarity

No longer sticky with bandit blood, Dan returned to the formation with Lübel. As they walked, his friends seemed a bit apprehensive. Concerned, Dan pulled the sleeves up on his borrowed shirt before standing in front of his friend to ask him what was wrong. As he looked up earnestly at his friend, a small smile appeared on Lübel’s face. With a sigh, he ruffled Dan’s hair before finally reaching into his pocket. 

In Lübel’s hands was a ring. His eyes widened, had their eternal brotherhood blossomed into something more… but the furrowed brow, was this spurred by something negative? With bated breath he waited for his friend to finally speak. 

“This is from that lady from earlier, Kiri or something. Be sure to thank her. She’s not from the Peninsula, so she probably didn’t mean it in the way you’re thinking.” He spoke curtly. Well Dan was disappointed, but it was nice to receive such a thoughtful gift. 

“Wow. I’m getting so many wonderful gifts today. I’ll be sure to thank her next time I see her, so don’t worry about my manners Lülü.” he said as happily as his mood would allow. He slid the ring onto his finger and noted that it fit perfectly. Lübel smiled with him as they walked back to camp.

By the time they arrived it was almost time for the group to continue their march. Quickly they salvaged what they could from Dan’s pack before settling down to wait for their march to resume. 

Not long after, Darryl came by to check on them. He was always diligent in checking in with everyone after a battle. Once he saw that Dan was cleaned up he visibly sighed in relief. Giving them a thumbs-up he asked, 

“Y’all straight?” The two of them answered in the affirmative and with a smile and a nod he went off to check on the rest of mercenaries that were left. Once everyone was confirmed to be fine their march started back up.

They progressed without issue. When the moon finally began to rise, Darryl announced they would rest for the night. The mercenaries set up their tents up around the wealth wagon and Darryl assigned the night-watch shifts. 

He usually picked fighters who hadn’t done too much during the battle, so Dan was pretty much absolved from night duty. The four unlucky fighters griped a bit, but everyone settled down without much issue. With a yawn Dan decided he’d just go straight to bed. Usually he would participate during the in-camp battle celebrations, but suddenly he felt tired. Quietly he slunk into his and Lübel’s tent and quickly fell asleep. 

He had a dream that night. Lübel sat with him in a flower field, a gentle breeze blowing. It was a simple dream, but Dan felt refreshed when he woke up the next morning.


	8. New Best Friend

Lübel spent the first couple days after the ambush with Dan. He even carried his pack at times. Dan was simply happy to pass time with his friend. However, as the days went by Lübel began to gravitate towards the front of the formation more and more. 

By the fourth day, Lübel had completely left him in favor of the front of the formation. Once again alone at the back of the formation Dan felt lonely. He wondered if he could pass the time by finding Kiri. He had yet to thank her for the ring, so he figured he might as well take advantage of the opportunity. 

She was quite tall, so Dan figured she would be easy to find. After a while he was perplexed at her apparent disappearance. Though he was carrying both packs he picked up the pace to see if she was within the formation and just out of his line of sight. He wondered if he had simply overestimated her height. 

Dan walked along the outsides of the formation trying to find her. His search came up fruitless and he sighed in disappointment. Since he was near the center of the formation he decided to rest against a tree in order to let them pass him once again. In a couple miles Darryl would probably have the mercenaries stop for a short rest, so Dan decided to take advantage of that fact. 

He watched his compatriots idly. When he grew bored of that he stared up at the trees. Thanks to living on the peninsula most of his life he was used to the openness of the ocean, he couldn’t help wonder for how much longer the woods would last. 

Suddenly, a small creature approached him interrupting his musing. It had flippers for feet and a soft looking beak. It cheeped piteously at him. Slowly he reached his hand out to pet it. At first the creature hesitated before accepting his touch. 

He spent a few minutes petting the thing and found himself relaxed by the experience.

“Kiri Jr. where are you, you feckless little limp-beak.” A dull voice called out, the sweetness in the tone clearly artificial. At the sound of the voice the creature recoiled and curled deeper into Dan. Gently he comforted it in his arms. 

It cooed softly after being soothed. Not long a saddled donkey slowly approached him, the pink bow on it’s tail swaying softly. The quiet tinkle of the bell on it’s neck also drew Dan’s attention. 

“Oh hello Mr. Donkey, is this your friend?” he asked kindly. To his surprise the donkey responded. 

“There it is! I’ve been looking for that Selguino all day. Thanks for finding it for me.”

“Wow, a talking donkey. That’s so cool! But I think this Selguini is scared of you.”

“I’m not a donkey, jackass. And don’t worry about that scary lil thing. I’ve had it for years at this point, it’s just ungrateful.” said Kiri as she came out the woods. 

“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t see you there. OH! Thanks for the ring. It’s really nice.”

“Oh it’s not that great really…” she muttered quietly. The two of them spent a couple moments after that in an awkward silence. 

Finally Kiri moved to grab the selguino out of Dan’s arms, but it squealed loudly in distress before burrowing into his neck. She paused next to him. Another wave of awkwardness hit them. 

“Sorry about this. Like I said it’s just ungrateful, after everything I’ve done for it, this, is how it thanks me.”

“Oh yeah, you said you’ve had it for years. That’s so cool. But why is it still so scared of you?” 

“It’s scary cuz I accidentally crushed it’s parents felling a tree. But what blows me is that I’ve been nothing but kindly to it ever since.”

“Oh… I mean I guess that could kinda be a good reason to be scared of you. But why is it still a baby, since you’ve had it so long?” 

“Evidently these jokers take years to reach maturity, but it’ll all be worth it when I can finally harvest it’s tentacles. They’re valuable, see those non fluffy spots on it, that’s where they grow.”

“I see… but won’t you get too attached?”

“You ask a lotta questions, but I guess you could say I’m pretty unscrupulous when it comes to money.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“Sure am.” she said proudly. The two of them spent another moment in silence, comfortable this time. Eventually the two of them jumped at the realization that the formation had left them behind.

Gently Dan held out Kiri Jr. to return her to Kiri. The creature squirmed and whined throughout the whole exchange. Dan noticed that her grip was gentle like his. 

Dan picked up his and Lübel’s pack and looked up to see a raised eyebrow. Before he could ask what was wrong, Kiri spoke,

“That pack’s nearly as big as you. I mean I’m impressed, but that gives me an idea.” She put Kiri Jr. into a small box before gesturing for Dan to put the packs down. He complied and to his surprise she lifted him with one arm and the packs with another. She weighed them with a small hum. 

Surprised and slightly embarrassed, Dan focused on Kiri Jr’s disgruntled whining. When she finished she gently set him down and dropped Lübel’s pack. 

“Idea time. Since that ungrateful brat is clearly taken with you, how about you ride Iggy here and keep an eye on Jr. and I’ll carry your pack in exchange. Deal?” Dan hesitated a bit before finally agreeing. 

“Deal.” 

“Good deal, good deal.” She said approvingly, before lifting him into the saddle and gently handing him the box with Kiri Jr. in it. She had obviously tried to minimize the jostling the creature experienced, even in spite of her intentions to sell it once it reached maturity. Despite her obvious care towards it, the creature was still terrified of her. Dan couldn’t help but wonder how badly their meeting had traumatized it. 

When he opened the box Kiri Jr jumped out and into his arms, as though it thought it would never be free again. Kiri handed him a small leash and tied the end to Iggy’s saddle. Kiri Jr must have gotten loose while they were marching earlier, Dan realized. 

As Kiri adjusted Lübel’s pack to his back, Dan had to admit that it was oversized. Even with her height the pack still looked massive on her. Once she was ready to go, she grabbed Iggy’s lead and took off down the path. Obediently, the donkey followed behind her. 

They traveled in silence. The wildlife seemed more willing to make themselves seen and heard now that it was just the two of them. When the path came to a curve Kiri kept going straight. She led them through the woods effortlessly. Dan usually felt a bit of anxiety in the woods, but with Kiri’s self-assured confidence he felt at ease. Even Kiri Jr managed to settle down and sleep in his arms. 

By the time they caught up with the formation the moon was starting to rise. Darryl had of course already told them to rest for the night. The majority of them set up their tents right on the path. After his brief foray into the woods, Dan couldn’t help but wonder how deep the woods were. Right as they were finally coming close to the formation, Lübel stopped towards them seemingly annoyed. 

Before Dan could greet him, Lübel interrupted. 

“Took you long enough! Hurry up and get the tent set up, so I can sleep.” He snapped at Dan. Before he stomped off somewhere else just as quickly as he came. Flustered Dan moved to do as he’d been ordered, but Kiri held her hand up to stop him. She pointed at Kiri Jr who was asleep in his arms. Instead she dropped Lübel’s pack and set up his tent. Afterwards she sniffed the air a couple times before looking back at Dan. 

“It’s fixing to rain. Where’s your tent?” 

“Oh it got trampled… during the ambush. Me and Lübel have just been sharing.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Whatever, Kiri Jr wants to sleep with you so stay with me tonight.” With a flick of her wrist Iggy followed obediently behind her. She led them off the path into the woods. As the light from the camp faded Dan couldn’t help but wonder where she was taking him.

His confusion only grew as he saw that him and Kiri weren’t the only mercenaries that had headed into the woods. There were a variety of aromatic scents circling the air and he saw that the tents and the animals were all draped with some sort of moss. He observed the other mercenaries for as long as he could, before they were once again alone in the woods.

With a click of Kiri’s tongue Iggy came to a stop. She set up her tent with a practiced ease. She had a small pack, so his eyes widened at the size of the contents within. For the most part Kiri ignored his awe and confusion. 

Once she set the tent up she covered it with the moss he’d seen earlier. She took out a pouch that smelled strongly of lavender and peppermint and sprinkled its contents around the tent, herself, and finally him and Iggy. She tossed some furs into the tent before looking back at him.

“Can ya get down on ya own?” she asked. He nodded and held Kiri Jr to his chest before swinging off carefully. Afterwards he stood around awkwardly while Kiri laid some more moss onto Iggy. She raised her eyebrow at him before finally speaking.

“Get comfortable sweetheart.” she said casually. 

“What about you though?”

“The woodland provides.” She said in a serious tone before chuckling to herself. 

“Honestly though, it’s improper. In Sympharli at least we’ve got hang-ups about these sort of things.”

“OH, the Peninsula is like that too… but were not in either of those places now right?”

“You know what, that’s a good point Danny. I like your style.” She nodded approvingly. The tent was large enough enough for the two of them anyway. Gently he laid Kiri Jr. down at his side before covering himself with some of the furs. They were different than the wool he was used to, but surprisingly warm and soon he felt his eyes growing heavy. He wondered if she’d hunted them herself as he snuggled in. 

Kiri entered the tent silently, Dan was barely awake enough to hear her quiet good night. Just as quietly he wished her a good night as well. That night he experienced another vivid dream.

It was once again that field from his prior dream with Lübel, but this time it featured Kiri and her pets. He was laying against Iggy, who was stunting with flowers braided into her mane. 

Butterflies danced around them. Kiri Jr jumped up and down trying to catch them. Across from him Kiri napped with a piece of straw hanging out her mouth. The dream was peaceful. He wondered here Lübel was, if all his friends could join him in this dream field it would be perfect. 

He watched small song birds chase each other in the field. A small yellow one landed on Iggy. Dan watched it in wonder. When it opened it’s beak he expected some sweet birdsong, but instead he heard a deep human voice. 

“Even a familiar flame will burn you. Extinguish it lest Svailana be engulfed once again.” It commanded. The bird stared into his eyes for a moment before flying off. Perplexed at the dreams development, a thunder clap from the waking world jolted him awake. He hyperventilated a bit before regaining his composure. There seemed to be a storm raging overhead. 

Luckily, it seemed that in the woods the water didn’t penetrate the canopy as well. The thunder however was practically unbearable. It even woke up Kiri Jr who whined and stared helplessly at him. Gently Dan soothed the animal. 

“Mmm don’t baby it.” muttered Kiri before readjusting her sleep position. He had forgotten that the creature was possibly mature in animal years… but he figured that it couldn’t hurt to baby it just this once. He cuddled with the creature listening to the thunder overhead. Normally he would have needed Lübel to reassure him, but now with the roles reversed he could only hope he was just as comforting for Kiri Jr. 

Eventually he did fall back to sleep, but his dreams weren’t as vivid as his first one that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long delay. It took a little longer to get this chapter done than I anticipated, but the next once should be much quicker.


	9. So You Just Gonna Rain on my Parade

Lübel was soaked and miffed. He’d been rudely awakened by a downpour taking down his tent and to add insult to injury, Dan had absconded with that woman and left him to the storm. Sure it hadn’t been intentional, but Lübel couldn’t help but curse the timing. Now he had no one to help him with the situation. But once the path started to flood he had no choice but to cut his losses and drag his soaked items under a tree. 

He sat next to the tree trunk with a huff. He was soaked, his stuff was soaked. The thunder basically felt like what he imagined an earthquake felt like. The storm only strengthened as the night went on. He wiped the hair plastered to his forehead and decided to see what the rest of the mercenaries were doing. 

It seemed the animals and camp had already been taken care of. Now the majority of them were taking cover under the tree-cover like him. He saw a couple of them frolllicking in the rain. The desert people mostly. A blessing was a blessing, no matter the location, he guessed. 

Darryl himself was standing with his steed in the downpour. Seeing the loyalty between man and horse, he couldn’t help but feel bitterer over his abandonment. Though a particularly aggressive thunder clap made him worry about Dan. He heard some of the mercenaries talking nearby, so he decided to move closer to them. They had congregated under the treeline. One of the younger mercenaries was questioning some of the older mercenaries forecasting skills.

“So half of you guys can tell when a storm’s coming, but not it’s intensity?”

“Well what do you expect, we’re not from here? That’s like expecting you to know every safe berry to eat in Eskel.” Responded Vyaghra, one of the oldest mercenaries. 

“Oh I get it geez. But like the Sympharlins really disappear before storms. Are they like better at predicting them?”

“That’s just when we're in the woods. If this storm had arrived in the plains, it would of been your people taking shelter. I remember when we first started out, it was quite an adjustment for the Sympharlins, but that’s with any person from an infinite biome.”

“Oh yeah, I remember someone saying that Sympharli’s the land of infinite woods. Are you from an infinite biome too?”

“No, the States of Perpetuity arose from Naesan’s descendant tribes. Thus the geography varies as we vary. We bring nature into us through our tattoos.” She said alluding to the inked stripes that covered her entire body.

“They say their Naesan came from the Infinite Sands, ثلاثين درجة” added another mercenary . Vyaghra nodded in agreement before elaborating.

“Understand Jean Yvonne, that all things come from another. Sympharli’s rivers come from your Eskel, understand?”

“Woah, that’s so cool. I never knew that. I’m from the west, so we don’t really travel as far as the central tribes.” The elder mercenary smiled and looked satisfied that her lesson was being understood. Lübel was disappointed by the boring conversation. He was about to tune them out when the elder mercenary addressed him. 

“Where are you from young Lübel?” she asked. Her friendly tone would of made him look odd if he didn’t respond. 

“Um, the Peninsula in West SePe. Dan and I traveled to Turnt Town to join the mercenaries when we first joined.” He answered awkwardly. 

“You made quite the journey to join us, and so young...”

“Um, you could say that.” She smiled back at him.

“Such determination isn’t often found in ones so young. Remember to temper your ambition, even the best intentions can be destroyed by avarice.” The look she leveled him triggered a vestigial feeling within him, but deeper still Lübel felt resentment. Though he was still unsure of the depth of his ambition, who was she to tell him to limit himself. Before he could respond, she quickly finished her sentence. 

“But forgive this old woman's rambling. That look in your eyes was too familiar for a second, and having seen self-destruction with my own child near your age… I can’t help but want to interject.” She muttered wistfully. The uncomfortable situation was finally interrupted by another of the younger mercenaries yawning. A series of yawns echoed through the mercenaries and even Lübel found himself powerless against its infectiousness. But to sleep wet was to welcome illness with open arms.

Lübel belatedly realized the empty conversation had merely been a distraction from the cold and tiredness. He shiverd subconsciously as it started to set in. The older mercenaries seemed unbothered by the cold. Another one of the older mercenaries, Glide, decided to keep the conversation going. 

“Bahaha, one night in the eternal frostland would surely cost you all a limb.” He said, proud of his acclimated cold resistance. 

“Wait, your people don’t move with the seasons? Such a life of unnecessary hardship, but some tribes are the same way in Eskel, I guess.”

“Eternal frostland denotes an eternal winter genius.”

“Oh duh, it’s just that the naming convention makes everything seem hyperbolic.”

“Well it’s no exaggeration in my case. If anything you should have questioned the States of Perpetuity.”

“It’s not our fault our ancestors didn’t want to be left out of the cool names.” rebutted Vyaghra. And just like that the light-hearted swing of the conversation returned. The rest of the night was more of the same, older mercenaries passing down stories or history while the younger mercenaries asked questions. Though he had found it boring at first Lübel had to admit that it was rather interesting once he gave it a chance, and it was better than languishing in the cold.

By dawn, the storm had finally stopped and the sun beamed down on the path. A scenic image, beleaguered by the mud and humidity left in the storms wake. Slowly but surely the mercenaries went to clean up the remains of the camp. Darryl gave them the day to get everything cleaned and dried, so Lübel just took his time. 

Around the time they would have started to head out for the daily march the Sympharlins started trickling in. One by one announcing their shock at the state of the camp. Eventually Dan made an appearance following behind Kiri once again. 

Lübel wanted to be petty, but he figured that he could use his friends' help. He waved Dan over and of course he immediately ran over to him. While Kiri did follow Dan rather nonchalantly behind him, he only acknowledged Dan’s presence.

“I was worried about you during the storm last night.”

“Ah geez Lübel I’m sorry. I was perfectly fine. Kiri took good care of me last night.I was worried about you, but then I fell back to sleep so I didn’t know how bad the storm was. I totally would of came to check on you if I’ d known.” His friend blathered on, patting over his body to make sure he was fine. Lübel was happy to be doted on, hopeful that next time Dan would think twice before separating from him. 

“Next time Kiri, we’ll have to include Lübel.” He said innocently. To the shock of the burgeoning clique and any eavesdroppers. Lübel cursed internally, he should have known Dan would get attached too quickly. Kiri was the only other mercenary to have freely approached Dan and attempted a deeper interaction than just comrades on the battlefield.   
Now having to contend for his friends attention, he didn’t know how to feel. He didn’t worry about it for long though, as Dan immediately wanted to get to work salvaging their belongings. Even the little creature that had started following him around tried to help too. Eventually even Kiri pitched in. 

Dan chattered endlessly as they worked. Even with the awkwardness of the beginning, by the end it all of them were on friendly terms. Funnily enough, Kiri had been scandalized when her pet had warmed up to him too. That evening, Darryl seemed to be in an extraordinarily good mood when he checked up on them as well. 

That night, true to Dan’s request Kiri did lead Lübel into the woods with them that night. Dan seemed to be torn over which tent to sleep in, and then it was Lübel’s turn to be scandalized. Then, just as innocently Dan suggested that all three of them share a tent, and it seemed that Kiri was just as weak to his puppy-eyes. Neither able to veto the idea they all ended up squeezed into the tent. Though Lübel had to admit, that it was one of the best sleeps a night in the woods could provide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda a filler arc, but it's also just the start of their journey so of course it's pretty chill. 
> 
> Hopefully my update schedule can shrink, but in the interest of quality, and my investment in college, I feel like every two-three weeks will be the modus operandi for now.


	10. Static Names in Changed Times

The next day the mercenaries were finally back to business. Their march resumed and as always Lübel returned to trying to ingratiate himself to the older mercenaries. However, Dan was no longer spending the days alone. Kiri and her pets kept him company. They spent their days talking or training together. The two had reached a quiet understanding of each other. Soon, Dan began to hold an affection for her that he felt was different from Lübel’s. He’d wanted to ask Lübel about these new feelings, but never had the opportunity.

By the end of the week, as the forest ended so did Dan’s reservations. He grabbed Kiri’s hand just as the plateau was revealed to them. She looked down at him in surprise, but he closed his eyes before speeding into his heartfelt declaration. 

“I wanna travel with you forever!” He shouted with all the earnesty he could muster. Dan heard a stifled chuckle and nervously opened his eyes. Kiri had a weird look on her face, but she slung her arm over his shoulders with a smile. 

“Well just see where the road takes us, aight?” she said casually. The cheery glimmer in her eyes left Dan overjoyed. Even Kiri Jr, despite its fundamental ignorance of human intricacies, was excited by all the positive energy. 

Suddenly, it started glowing. They were forced to look away as a bright light enveloped it. When it finally dimmed they were presented with what they could only assume was a fully grown Selguino. It’s purple tentacles gyrated joyfully as it kept dancing. Kiri’s grip on his shoulder tightened before she turned to him with a golden smile. 

“You just my good luck charm ain’t ya.” she said happily. She adjusted Kiri Jr’s leash until it was secure and turned to him. 

“Don’t let ‘er outta ya sight, lest some wretches hands covet our treasures. Hehehe.” She said casually with an ominous laugh. Dan suppressed a small shiver. Kiri’s propensity towards violence was weaker than his, but she didn’t try to find petty reasons to justify it when she acted on her predispositions. 

As they headed towards the wealth wagon he wondered how he too could come to terms with himself. He didn’t get much time to think about it though, the rest of the mercenaries had already circled around the wagon for the post accomplishment reunion. Darryl was always diligent in checking up on them and keeping them informed. As he and Kiri sat down to listen he perked his ears attentively. With a casual stretch, Darryl began his speech, 

“We’ve made it to Sunless Valley guys, clap it up no casualties this time. Fly high Barrel.” He paused to pound his chest before continuing. “We finna pull up on Agama City by tonight. Probably the oldest city in SePe… in fact the cities emblematic creature is actually from Sympharli. They say the cities founder Dìckward the Termite-Eater was inspired by his deployment during-”

“Just say you from here and go dawg.”

“We don’t need a history lesson EVERYTIME we come here bruh.” Interrupted some of the older mercenaries. Darryl pouted in disappointment. 

“Dang, not even one time for the last time… fiiine. As always, we'll take a day off tomorrow. When we get there tonight, make sure you stay in camp because the wealth’ll be divided out in the morning. Alrighty let’s keep it pushing.” he finished dully, pointing unenthusiastically in the direction they had to go. 

Dan felt a little sorry for Darryl, but kept it pushing per his leader's request. One hand holding the leash and the other in Kiri’s hand, he ventured forth toward Agama City.


	11. Static Names Under Changed Times

Lübel didn’t pay much attention to Darryl’s typical prattling during the meeting. His mind was focused on Dan’s latest development. It was unbelievable that in the short time he’d left him with Kiri he had managed to grow inseparable from her. 

As the meeting went on he watched the two of them from the corner of his eye. Dan seemed comfortable with her arm around his shoulder, but everything was wrong. He was the only one that was supposed to be this close to Dan, but now in the span of a week he’d found himself a tick. 

Suddenly, Kiri made eye contact with him. He looked away quickly, her arrogant smirk imprinted itself into his mind. Lübel grit his teeth but kept his composure. She could gloat now, but he’d reestablish himself as Dan’s number one tomorrow. Once the meeting ended, he approached the two of them. He watched as Dan gently reached out to grab Kiri’s hand. He swallowed down his revulsion and plastered his most dazzling smile on his face. 

“Hey Dan, do you want to get that new sheathe first thing tomorrow?” 

“Oh sorry Lübel, me and Kiri already made plans for tomorrow. But maybe you could come along with us…” Dan said apologetically. 

Lübel’s smile dropped. Dan never denied him anything and the annoyance that had flickered in Kiri’s apathetic face grated at him. He decided to try and finish this with as much dignity as possible. 

“Uhm, no it alright. Don’t worry about it, I’ll find something else to do.” he answered stiffly. Dan looked conflicted while Kiri rolled her eyes. But of course Dan didn’t notice that. Lübel turned and left with as much dignity as he could muster. He returned back to his spot at the front of the formation, but was too distracted to really pay attention like he usually did. 

He was still lost in thought when one of the older mercenaries got his attention. 

“Hey kid, don’t you have uuh friends your age to hang out with? Our plans for tomorrow are kinda vet only if you catch my drift.” He said with an awkward smile. Lübel’s face heated a bit. 

“Of course.” He muttered before heading towards the middle of the formation. Even the awkward apologies and thanks for his understanding weren’t enough to quell his bitterness. It was a lonely walk to the city and a lonelier night. Sure he could have went back to Dan, but his pride wouldn't allow it, Dan should be the one coming to him. The foreboding metal walls of the city matched the way Lübel felt that night. As he went to sleep he ignored any urges to go visit Dan at all in the hopes that his friend would realize what a Lübel free existence was really like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the month long delay. It's not that I haven't been writing, but last month was entirely too hectic for me to find anytime to type rough drafts. Now that things seem to be mellowing it out it should be back to the normal 1-2 weeks, fingers crossed. 
> 
> I'd say catch me on twitter for updates, but I'm taking a break. At least till the elections over... I typed on election day lol.Though the twitter break is sorta on and off till when I get annoyed, so you might get lucky. 
> 
> These two chapters are kinda short, but the next portion is pretty much completely drafted out and that'll be much longer. Sorry again for the delay.


End file.
